Bunbury Council sells beach block

A prime waterfront property has been sold with the latest plans including a mixed use and residential development alongside Bunbury’s Back Beach.

Bunbury City Council voted to sell Lot 66 Ocean Drive following lengthy debate behind closed doors on Tuesday night.

The sale price is being kept under wraps, but the property was valued around the $2.2 million mark in 2016 when the council negotiated a $1.98 million deal.

But Mayor Gary Brennan conceded property prices had decreased “significantly” over the past few years, indicating the purchaser may have landed an even better deal.

The 2016 deal fell through after developers failed to comply with a condition to pay for rezoning and a structure plan within 12 months.

The prime block of beachside land has been marred with failed concepts after it was also earmarked as a hotel site in 2011, but Chinese investors abandoned plans blaming the economy’s financial downturn.

The latest deal was struck with a local family who Mr Brennan described as “highly-respected” and who had come up with a “really appealing concept development”.

“I’m confident it will go ahead, knowing the family and commitment they have and that will be the benchmark and encourage others to seriously look at that area for development,” Mr Brennan said.

The family was contacted by the South Western Times, but declined to make a comment.

The deal is subject to meeting “milestones” and being completed within three years.

“What we didn’t want was to sell the land and have people land bank it,” Mr Brennan said.

“We wanted to sell the land and see it developed and occur within a reasonable period of time.”

Mr Brennan did not want to reveal too much detail around the plans, but said it included short-term as well as permanent accommodation, retail and commercial.

“(It’s) a mix of use which is just what we want to see there,” he said.

“From my point of view, to see a development occur there does a couple things – it’s a strong indicator of confidence in our city’s future and it will also generate a lot of jobs.

“It also adds another reason for people to come and visit Bunbury.”